This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 60/792,779, filed on Apr. 17, 2006.
The present application relates to an endovascular device tip assembly incorporating a marker and the method of making the same. Moreover, this application relates to the use of a radiopaque marker that is fixed within a medical device, such as a catheter, by counterboring the distal end of a tubular device and placing the marker within.
Endovascular devices have long been known which can be surgically inserted into a body lumen, such as an artery, to reinforce, support, repair, or otherwise enhance the performance of the lumen. For example, catheters generally include a hollow tubular portion, usually formed of resilient plastic, for insertion through the skin of a patient into a cavity, duct or vessel to permit injection or withdrawal of fluids, or to deliver medications to patients for therapeutic reasons. Regardless of the instrument, the accurate placement of the instrument in the patient's body is often critical to its successful use.
As a result, different methods have been developed to help the physician “see” inside of the patient's body and help determine exactly where the endovascular device is being positioned. For example, X-ray, MRI, CT, and ultrasound devices and techniques have been employed. The endovascular devices may still be difficult to position without some enhancement of the device. Medical devices which incorporate radiopaque materials may more accurately position the various medical implements.
Typically, the distal tip of an endovascular device consists of a hollow metal or polymer cylinder which is tapered along the outer surface. The inside diameter of the tip is typically sized to allow the smooth passage of a guidewire of a given diameter. Preferably, the inside diameter remains constant. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a method of incorporating a marker into the tip of an endovascular device without changing the inner diameter of the tip, which would make it more difficult to pass a guidewire therethrough. This invention addresses such a method for incorporating a marker into the tip of an endovascular device.